Cube Land
by Shado-chan
Summary: This is not your average "Oh mai notch i got sucked into minecraft better try to find a way out!" fanfiction- A mysterious girl is pulled into the game after an encounter with the fabled Herobrine. And this time, "getting out" may not be an option. Full of epic twists, turns, Endermen, and pigs! :D *Complete!*
1. Herobrine?

_Prologue: Herobrine?_

* * *

Yeah, reading up on all those Minecraft fanfictions really did not help in terms of sleep.

I flop back on my bed, my head swimming with all the legends of mysterious kingdoms, rebelling mobs, and lone adventures, and most of all, Herobrine. Gah, why are half the fanfictions out there about Herobrine in some way or another?

Well, I shouldn't be complaining. I mean, he _is _pretty cool for Notch's dead brother.

I let out a low moan, not unlike an Enderman's, and roll onto my back. I look up. The projection from the clock on the ceiling reads _2:07am. _Oh my God. I'll never be able to sleep now.

I grab my Sansa and plug my earbuds in, turning on the song Cube Land by Laura Shigihara. It's the only Minecraft song I have on that old thing, and I've had enough time staring at my iPod screen tonight.

Gently, the song plays, and involuntarily, I find myself singing along.

"_I'm in a cube land._

"_I dig with cold hands._

"_I use these tools to try and climb out of this, my sudden hate . . ._

"_Two, three:_

"_My door is open._

"_Skeletons and Zombies_

"_I am broken_

"_As they walk all over me._

"_But if I keep building walls, maybe they'll stay away . . ."_

Slowly, my singing fades away and I drift off to sleep.

* * *

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, guess who was in my dream tonight.

Yup.

Herobrine.

Those eyes, oh god, those eyes of his . . . the people weren't kidding. They're just not right. He just stared at me from the other side of my bed, no, not just that.

People say that he solely focuses on the player, ignoring everything else even if attacked, and disappears if approached. The last part isn't true. I watched him from my bed and inched closer until I was right up in his face, and he didn't disappear. He just stared.

We engaged in a silent staring contest for a good five minutes, me trying not to blink and wondering what the heck was going on in his mind until he gently touched my left arm. I backed away, and lines and lines of coding started running up my arm, crawling up my back until it hit my head. It came with the same feeling as being hit with a sledgehammer and I fell forward, passing out at his feet.


	2. The Beginning

Cube Land

_Chapter 1: The Beginning_

* * *

"Nngh . . ."

I can feel an aching pain spiraling down my back as my body slowly starts to wake up. I don't open my eyes yet. The sun's already glaring down through my closed eyelids, and if I open them, I'll be blinded.

My right hand slowly closes around a few blades of grass swaying in the wind, and I feel as if the world is at a slight diagonal. So I'm on a hill.

I wait for the pain in my back to recede, and once it does, I sit up. My legs immediately fall down onto more planes of grass as if I were on stairs. Tilting my head downwards, I open my eyes. Everything looks . . . blocky. I tilt my head up. There's a village a little ways ahead, and there are a few people around that look . . . Minecraftian. They don't seem to notice me.

I blink. _Those fanfictions were real? I'm in Minecraft!_

. . . .

Awesome.

I stand and stretch, wincing as spikes of pain shoot up my back, and blink again. I shake my left arm wildly. I can't feel it at all, and—EW—it acts as if it's made of jelly. Eww. I let it drop. It hangs limply by my side, and that's when I notice I'm the only thing here that's not blocky. I look around at myself. I'm clothed in a white t-shirt and white capris and white sneakers. There is a white backpack slung over my shoulder. My skin is slightly pale. I have short brown hair that falls just past my chin in split ends. I look anime.

"YEAHUH!" I shout, fist-pumping. "I'M NOT A SQUARE!"

As my excitement fades away, my common sense returns. So first, I need a shelter. LAME. I think I'll just craft a sword and some tools for now and borrow one of the shelters in the village. They won't mind, I'm sure.

"Okay," I say to myself, "where's the nearest tree . . . aha!" I spot a good tall tree and walk over to it, staring it down. How do I do this . . .? Oh yeah. Punching trees gives me wood. Thank you Halolz!

I crack my knuckles and yell, "HI-YAAAAAH!" giving the block in the middle a good punch. It splinters into five bazillion pieces and a smaller version of the block appears in front of it. I reach out and touch the cube. It immediately fits into my hand, and I grin. But since I prefer to punch trees with my hands, I close my fist around the block, and it disappears when I open it again. I look back up at the tree. It's floating in the air.

Minecraft logic.

I shrug and punch the remaining wood from the tree and punch the leaves too, so I have about seven pieces of wood and four saplings. As I plant the saplings in various places, the area starts to finally come to life as if I just earned an achievement. Sheep and cows and chickens start to come into view, and I smile. I've always liked the passive mobs in Minecraft- they're just so adorable!

Something nudges my leg and gives a familiar _oink_. I look beside me and see a pig staring up at me curiously. I laugh and bend down, scratching it behind the ears. It nuzzles my hand, and I know I've made a new friend.

The sun is starting to set on the horizon, and I curse, standing up and quickly crafting some wooden planks, making a crafting table, and crafting a wooden pickaxe. Better than nothing.

Packing up the crafting table, I climb down the small cube hill and twist around, seeing a stone pathway cave type of thing. I walk into it and immediately start mining the rock with the pickaxe. I keep mining until the pickaxe breaks, and by that time, the moon is just peeking over the horizon line and I have around twenty stones. I place it all in my backpack and rush out of the cave.

Once in the village, I relax from all the torches burning brightly, knowing the monsters wouldn't dare to come here with all the light. I take a deep breath of fresh air and walk into an empty house, the first one on the left. As I close the door behind me though, it jams, and a squeal is heard. I look down and see the pig trying to inch his way in. I open the door some more and he crawls in. I close it behind him, place my pack in the corner, and sit against the wall, pulling the pig close while my left arm dangles at my side. He nuzzles me gently, and I know I am forgiven.

My arm is so worn out from working all day, and so is my body, and I fall asleep against the wall with the pig at my side, oblivious to the monsters prowling around right outside my door.

* * *

_The door slowly opens, and the monsters are kept at bay by the torchlight in the small, one-room house. A small village girl with short black hair and one white eye walks in on silent feet, carrying a small wooden bowl full of mushroom stew in her hand. She closes the door behind her and blinks at the sleeping girl against the wall, a pig lying next to her. Her eyes shifted to the girl's left arm, and almost on command, it becomes translucent and various numbers and letters could be seen running through it, almost like a command code of some sort. Her blank eye glowed slightly, reading the code, piecing it together. After a few seconds, she gives a small, evil smile. "Master Herobrine has found more to decode, has he?" she whispers to herself, setting the bowl down beside the pig and quietly walking back out into the darkness._

* * *

**BWAHAHAHA! Epic plot twist time! So yeah this is my first Minecraft fanfic, please rate it kindly, NO FLAMES D: and no Shmoneacorn this is not a sidestory to yours! I had this idea for a while now but never got around to posting it. Hopefully I can finish it! :D Please R&R!**

**:S:**


	3. Wolves

_Chapter 2: Wolves_

* * *

I awake to something nuzzling my cheek. I blink open my eyes and the pig is there, right up in my face. I give a low moan to show I'm awake and gently shove him away, stretching my right arm and back. My left arm's still dead for some reason I can't fathom at the moment.

I stand and stretch my legs. The world spins for a moment and I fall forward, catching myself on the wooden floor with my good arm. I stood up too fast. At least, that's what Dad always tells me.

When the dizziness subsides, a sweet smell hits my nose, and a small wooden bowl filled with some kind of reddish-brown substance is nudged right in front of my face by none other than Mr. Pig. I blink, sitting back on my heels, staring down at the bowl. "Mushroom stew?" I ask aloud, and look back at the pig. "Did you make this?"

He gave a noncommittal oink that I take as a no.

My stomach rumbles as I stare at the stew. _Screw it, it's food, _I think, sitting cross-legged on the floor and taking the bowl, putting the rim to my mouth and tilting it back. The still-warm stew flows into my mouth and satisfies my hunger, and I down it quickly. When finished, I put the bowl back on the floor and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. Not surprisingly, the bowl is completely clean, and I pick it up and twist around.

"Where is my pack . . . aha!" I spot the white pack and set the bowl down, unzipping the pack and placing the bowl in it. On second thought, I just turn the whole pack upside down and dump all the contents out.

So let me see . . . a crafting table, twenty pieces of stone and some cobblestone, that bowl I just put in there, and six pieces of wood that I really need to make planks out of.

I set the crafting table in an empty space in the back of the house and pick up my items. Time to get to work.

* * *

"Hmm?" I look up at the sound of bells ringing just as the sun cleared the horizon line, in the middle of crafting a stone sword. "Church bells?"

I stick my head out the door and see all the citizens of the little village headed towards a medium-sized chapel in the middle of the town square. I blink in surprise. "They have church services here? Who do they worship? Notch?"

But church to me usually means . . . I bite my lip. _No, don't think about him, _I tell myself sternly, walking back inside and closing the door. I involuntarily lean against the door and fall completely still though, zoning out while my mind begins to wonder. _What landed me here in the first place?_

. . .

. . .

. . .

The pig nudges my leg gently and stares up at me curiously, and I shake my head, bending down and scratching him behind the ear. I can't remember.

When the pig nuzzles my hand for food, I facedoor quietly, remembering the mushroom stew and thinking I should've left some for the pig.

Walking back to my crafting table, I quickly finish crafting the stone sword (gah, things are impossible to craft with only one arm!) and slide my good arm through the strap of my pack—which now has a stone axe, shovel, and two stone pickaxes in it, on top of the stuff left over—hefting it over my shoulder and keeping the sword in my hand. Maybe it is a good time to go out hunting or something, find some wheat for the pig . . . come to think of it, what do pigs eat in here anyway? Eh, I'll find out one day.

I open the door with my elbow and walk out, the pig trailing beside me as I close it again with my foot. The sun is already halfway into the sky, and I have to get going if I want to make it back by nightfall.

We walk out of the village and start hiking up the small cube hill I first landed on when I got here. The sound of mooing enters my hearing and I jump down an edge, landing stiffly on my feet. The pig falls down beside me. Here is a small lake—two small lakes actually—and what looks like a half-finished shelter made out of wooden planks. Sheep and cows are abundant here, and I walk forward, trying to decide between wooden planks or leather and meat. I make up my mind, going for the cows.

* * *

Eventually, I have around twelve pieces of leather and three pieces of raw meat and I find myself taking the wooden planks from the half-finished shelter just as the sun's starting to set. I look up at the sky. It's getting darker rapidly. I shrug and go back to mining the wood, placing it in my pack . . . wait. I stop and look around. Why does it feel like I'm being watched?

Nah, it's just my nerves. I shrug it off and continue my current task.

The moon starts to rise when I'm finished, and I haul my heavy pack over my shoulder when something makes me freeze. A low moaning sound . . . oh no. Zombies.

I turn around slowly and see a hoard of about twenty of them coming slowly towards me, moaning all the while. I close my fist around the axe, and when I open it, my sword appears in its spot, and I hold it out in front of me as they come ever closer with my good arm as if I were about to bunt a baseball with a bat. Even though I'm trembling slightly—I was never that brave in Minecraft when I played; I'd rather wait out the night in a two by two by two shelter lit with only Redstone torches than be outside monster hunting—but . . . could I outrun them?

It's too late to turn back now.

I jump forward into the hoard, and my swordplay instincts start to kick in as I stab one in the forehead and whip it out the left side, chopping another's head off and continuing left, the momentum carrying me along as I spin out of control and land smack on the ground on my butt. I push myself up, but a zombie that got too close backhands me back down into the dirt. I wince in pain and stand again, stabbing that zombie in the chin and kicking him into another. They both despawn quickly.

I grunt as a zombie comes up behind me and hits my back, sending me to the earth again. I smack down on the hard ground, and my sword flies out of reach. I whip out with one leg, smacking it, and haul myself up for a third time, panting. Holy crap, is this on hard mode? Or am I just that weak?

One more moment of rest and the zombies have me down in the dirt again. But this time, I can't get up. I flail wildly, trying to keep them away, but still take damage as they lash back . . .

Suddenly, around five zombies despawn all at once as the cry of wolves fill the air. The mob in question suddenly charges around my line of sight, taking down the zombies in no time. I lay back down on the ground, panting, and relieved. I think I'd have about two and a half hearts left, maybe less, but wolves are not a hostile mob, so they won't attack me anyway . . .

My eyes shift over and I see two wolves standing guard around me. They both have red collar-like things around their necks. _Tamed wolves, then, _I think quietly, almost inaudible over my ragged breathing. _Who do they belong to . . .?_

The world is hazy to me. I definitely have less than two hearts left. But, if this is a game, why does the pain still last . . . why does it feel like my health is depleting rapidly . . . an open wound . . .?

My head lolls back and as my eyes close, I drift slowly into unconsciousness.

* * *

_The small pack of wolves prowled around the girl slowly, nudging her slightly, making small whimpering sounds when they didn't get a response. The man who owned the wolves watched from the small cube hill, his arms crossed. A hooded silver cloak covered his form as he stepped down onto ground level, walking over to his pack. The wolves parted to make way for him as he made his way to the girl, bending down onto one knee as his light blue eyes examined her from under his hood. "Why would such a large pack of zombies attack this one lady?" he asked himself, placing his hand down on the ground. A red, sickly liquid flowed around it from the girl's back and he retracted his hand. Blood._

"_She's wounded," he whispered. "But she's just another Minecraftian . . . why should I help her?"_

_Finally deciding, he turned around and barked orders to two of his wolves. They scampered off, and one retrieved her pack and the other got her sword. He picked up the girl, carrying her across his arms, feeling the open gash on her back and the blood stain his cloak. He shuddered once and started to dash off back to his home at an incredulous pace, the wolf pack trailing behind him._

* * *

**Woop! Another gotten out in record time!  
Whell, this ended pretty interestingly for me. I revised the ending quite a few times before I finally settled for this one, and this one is definiately my favorite. Note the wolf guy is not mine, he is my friend's neighbor's brother who actually does play minecraft and has proclaimed himself the King of the Wolves. Yay!  
R&R please! Until next time! *decodes*  
:S:**


	4. Code

_Chapter 3: Code_

* * *

I can feel a rough tongue licking my cheek, although when I try to bat it away, I notice that I can't move. My whole body seems unresponsive, and the most I can manage out is a soft moan, nearly inaudible.

There is a reprieve from the tongue, and a loud bark could be heard. I flinch at the sound and slowly open my eyes. I'm in a small room with no windows made of intermixed stone and dirt, lit by only two torches. A wooden door separates it from the hall. I lay in a modest red bed. An Ender chest could be seen in the corner, under another Redstone torch.

A tamed wolf is sitting on the end of the bed, wagging his tail excitedly. He lets out two more barks and the door clicks open. A storm of wolves, all tamed, rush in and crowd around the bed, staring up at me. I can only guess they are relieved to see me. But why me? They're not _my _wolves . . . whoever owns them must want me alive.

Footsteps sound and a tall, blond-haired man walks into the room, his light blue eyes reflecting off the torchlight around. He's wearing a long grey hoodie and black jeans, with black and white convers. I note the fact that he has apricot-y colored skin, and looks like he should belong in California and not Minecraft, considering that he—like me—is not a square.

I—very slowly—push myself up against the headboard, gritting my teeth as sharp spikes of pain shoot up my back. My clothes are also stuck to my body, maybe from the sweat I worked up from last night's fight with the zombies. I feel gross.

"Who . . . are you?" I whisper, my voice cracking. My whole body hurts all over, telling me I'm still a bit sore and that this is _definitely _not on peaceful mode.

He turns to look at me and seems to recoil a bit, but covers it up by stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. I notice two white wolf ears peaking from the folds of his hair, and my inner girly side starts squealing about how adorable he is. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he counters, and I flinch away at how loud his voice is. It sounds gruff, definitely like a large dog's. "Considering this is my house."

"Then why am I . . . in it?" I reply, letting out a slight, involuntary cough. The wolf at the foot of the bed seems to glare at me slightly and I fall silent.

He gives a loud sigh. "Because I saved you," he explains. I blink incomprehensively, and then remember the wolves from last night. "Why . . .?"

"You were bleeding pretty badly . . ." he scratched his head nervously. "I couldn't just leave you. And plus, I want to know why all those zombies attacked you all at once."

I tilt my head slightly. "Zombies are a . . . hostile mob," I remind him. He shoots a glare at me and replies, "That only spawn in groups from two to six. There were anywhere from twenty to thirty in that group."

"So you were the one . . . who was watching me?" I ask, almost silently.

"Watching you?" he echoes, and then immediately barks at several of his wolves. They all rush out at a lightning-fast speed, and ten seconds later, several howls sound all throughout the structure. He curses under his breath and dashes out the door, the rest of the wolves trailing behind him. I am immediately curious and force myself out of the bed, finding out I am wearing a white sundress and there is a layer of white gauze wrapped around my torso. My bare feet tread the stone floor and I head for the Ender chest, opening it up. Surprisingly, my pack is in it, and when I grab it, a familiar face pops out and nuzzles my cheek with an approving oink. My pig! I smile at him and heft my pack over my good shoulder, heading out the room and down the hallway after the sounds of growls.

I get lost several times, but eventually make my way out onto what looks like the battlements of a castle. The sky is currently sinking down into evening, and lots of wolves are gathered around here. The wind blows the hem of my dress out behind me. I see the guy from earlier leaning over the battlements, a bow out with an arrow notched loosely, hanging down slightly at his side. His ears are pinned down to his head and he seems aggravated, and all the wolves do too, as they're all staring out intently, growling slightly. I slip through the shadows and come up behind Wolf boy, tapping him on the shoulder. "What's going on?" I whisper. He jumps up slightly and his eyes shift over to me. "What are you doing out here?!" he half-whispers, half-snarls at me. I give him a pointed look. "Answer my question."

He tilts his head out towards the pathway leading to the castle. My eyes follow in the direction. There are trees around the edges, and a stone pathway in the middle. At the far end of the pathway is a small, Asian-looking girl with short-cut black hair that falls just past her chin and pale skin in the ever-fading sunlight. She's wearing a long black kimono with a grey sash. She looks real. I can't see her eyes.

"Who is she?" I ask.

"That's what I'm about to find out." He shifts his gaze back to the girl and leans out over the battlements again. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he calls, loud enough to be heard from down below.

The girl looks up at us from under her hair, and I notice that she has one black eye. The other is just plain white, no pupil, no iris. It seems to be glowing slightly.

"Do not worry," she answers in a small voice, and although it's quiet, it could be heard clearly to my ears, as if she was speaking into my mind. "I am merely here for the girl."

I gasp, and my breath is snatched away by the fierce wind. "What do you want with me?!" I shout, dropping my bag behind me and leaning forward, gripping the stone edge so tightly my knuckles are turning white. Wolf boy has his arrow drawn back and aimed at her forehead.

"I am not authorized to disclose that information," came her reply.

"Then no. You can't have her," Wolf boy concludes, releasing his arrow. All of the wolves within sight also let out a war howl and bolt towards her.

The next part happens so fast. She caught the arrow in midair and snapped it in half, leaving me already speechless, jumping into the flurry of wolves. Next thing I know, all of the wolves that attacked have despawned and she calmly brushes herself off. "I'll ask one last time," she stresses, and her voice becomes layered. A ghost-like image of a man with glowing white eyes appears in the distance and I focus on it intently. _"Give me the girl."_

"Never!" I shout. Wolf boy just stands frozen, seemingly horrified.

She narrows her eyes and then leaps forward towards us, almost flying as she clears the battlements and raises her fist. My left arm shoots up and time seems to slow down as it becomes translucent, white digital numbers and letters rushing through it so fast my eyes can't keep up with it. Suddenly, the numbers and letters seem to click and a white blast of energy shoots out from my hand, blasting the girl back. She lets out a loud scream and floats off into the air. Her body dissolves in fading numbers and letters until it's gone completely. My arm drops as I whirl back around and dash off into the castle and ignore the blinding pain in my back as the adrenalin of the moment courses through me, winding my way through the halls until I come out the entrance on ground level, running down the path towards the man that was watching us the whole time. Wolf boy gives a shout behind me, but I keep on going, my damaged sword appearing in my hand.

"You will PAY for sending me here!" I yell, raising my sword as I near him. "Herobrine!"

I swing my sword down to cut his forehead in half, but he catches it in midair and wrenches it from my hands, smacking me away with the hilt. I skid along the ground backwards, finally slowing down and breaking into a run for him again. He raises his hand.

"No!" someone shouts, and Wolf boy suddenly flashes out of nowhere, standing in front of me with his arms spread apart. Herobrine's backhand smacks him straight on the face. Time slows again, and a several lines of coding run down the place where Wolf boy is hit and break apart all at the same time before it returns to normal. He flies across the path and bounces along the ground before slamming into a tree, falling face-first into the dirt, lying motionless. I stare at him, horrified. I vaguely notice Herobrine watching from beside me.

_Touching, _a voice sounds in my head, and my attention jerks back to my enemy, who is now looking down at me. _Very touching._

Is it my imagination, or do I see a small smirk on his face?

He turns around and starts walking off into the darkness. "Wait!" I call. "You come to our castle in the middle of the night, go off and nearly kill my friend, and then turn around and leave?! What about me?! Wasn't I your original target?! Why just leave now?!"

He stops and he looks over his shoulder at me. _I was never one to finish a fight, _came his reply, before he disappears into the shadows. I stare, dumbfounded, after him, until I suddenly remember Wolf boy.

I give a small shout and whirl around, breaking into a small sprint and skidding down beside him, shaking him wildly. "Wake up, please, wake up!"

He moans quietly and rolls over slightly, looking up at me with half-glazed eyes. The whole right side of his face seems to be slowly deteriorating into bright white pixels. "Hey . . . did we . . . win?"

"You're dying right now and that's the first thing you ask?!" I yell. He gives a small chuckle and leans back slightly, staring up at the sky. "I couldn't defend . . . my pack . . . but knowing I could at least . . . protect a friend . . . that brings a . . . smile to my face." His eyes close and he drifts off. I let out a scream and shake him again, but he won't wake up.

"Someone!" I call, raising my voice to the sky. "Someone, anyone out there, help!"

My shouts get weaker as the adrenalin leaves my system, leaving me weak and light-headed. The pain in my back also comes full-force, but I try to ignore it. Eventually, I can't take it anymore, and collapse on top of him, fading down into unconsciousness.

* * *

_A small cluster of purple pixels start to gather in one spot near the two, and a young Enderman carrying a small block of dirt appears in its wake, surveying the area. Its eyes rest on the boy and the girl lying in the dirt, and after a few short strides it is up close to the two. It heard the girl's cries for help just a few minutes earlier. Bending down, it grabs the hand of both the boy and the girl as the cube it was holding disappears and teleports with them in another trail of purple pixels._

* * *

**Yeap. This is it.  
Dubstep, don't nag me if I totally got his personality wrong. I don't know him irl.  
R&R please! *decodes***

**:S:**


	5. The Endermen

_Chapter 4: The Endermen_

* * *

_I'm falling through a black, empty space. Voices sound around, calling, asking, and echoing through the endless plane of darkness. When will you wake up? Why won't you die? Why did you save them? Come back, please, so our efforts wouldn't have gone to waste!_

_I open my mouth to respond, but I can only manage out one thing._

"_Itai . . ."_

* * *

My eyes open once more to an endless black sky. No stars shine above, and there aren't any clouds in sight either. I flick my eyes around and see that I'm lying flat on a light green plane of grass that expands for miles around me, or at least, as far as I could see. Tall black humanoid shapes could be seen in the distance. Wolf boy is lying beside me, still unconscious. My inner girly side starts to squeal again.

Something brushes my hand and oinks. My eyes shift over and I notice my pig stretching as he wakes up, shaking out his muzzle and looking around curiously. He looks well fed. That makes my stomach rumble slightly, reminding me how hungry I am. He looks over at me and I give a small smile, reaching out with my right arm and scratching him behind an ear. He nuzzles my hand and I let out a short laugh.

"You're finally awake!" someone from behind me exclaims, and I look up to see an Enderman standing over me, watching me with its violet eyes.

I blink. "Did you just . . . talk?" I ask incredulously. It tilts its head. "I've always been able to talk," it replies. Its voice is that of a teenage boy's, maybe not much older than me.

"Then . . . how can I . . . how can you . . . what- how can I understand you?" I blurt out.

He shrugs. "I dunno."

I'm speechless.

Deciding that it would be better if I didn't have to cram my neck to see him, I sit up and twist around until I remember that if I look away he would probably attack me. He just calmly looks at me, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"What?" he asks. I blink and shake my head quickly. "Nothing."

After several seconds of awkward silence, we both burst out laughing. My pig trots around us, wanting to join in on the fun. When we're both out of breath, I look over and notice Wolf boy's up, sitting cross-legged and staring at us with a 'what the heck' look on his face. I giggle quietly, but my new Enderman friend is standing alert, like he doesn't trust him.

"You." Wolf boy looks over at me. "When did you learn to speak Enderman?"

"Huh?" I look around. "What do you mean?"

"You heard us?" The Enderman asks. "How much?"

Wolf boy flattens his ears slightly, almost as if we're too loud. "You were carrying on a conversation with that _thing _just a few seconds ago, how do you not know what I mean?"

"How rude!" I yell. "Endermen are not _things, _they're _living creatures!"_

"Answer my question."

"I already told you, I don't know what you- wait." I look back at the Enderman and I vaguely notice my voice shift as I speak. "You weren't speaking English?"

He blinks. "No."

"AWESOME! I'M BILINGUAL!"

"Not so loud!" Wolf boy barks at me, his ears pinned to his head. That's when I notice that the right side of his face is covered by a black substance that seems to be moving slightly. I also notice that several more Endermen have gathered around us. "What happened to your face?"

"It's a healing technique that rebuilds the substance over a wound," one of the Endermen reply, and my head whips around to face the one who spoke. He is one of the ones gathered and is almost directly behind me. He also stands at least a head taller than the rest. I turn around and stare up at him in awe. "It's mainly used only for serious wounds like your friend's."

"You should also note that we used it on your left arm to try and reverse the decoding process," another one from beside him pipes up, "although we're afraid the damage might be permanent at this point, as it seems to have traveled through your body. How long have you left it untreated?"

"Uhh . . ." I look at my left arm. There are black patches around my elbow, shoulder, wrist and palm, and they seem to be impregnated into my arm. "Maybe around two days . . . I think? Wolfy?" I look at Wolf boy. "How long was I out after the zombie attack?"

Wolf boy sighs. "One, my name is Chowder," he answers, "and two, I would say about three Minecraft days."

"Five days, then," I tell the Enderman. He stares at me. "And your arm hadn't visibly started to disappear yet? Usually if someone starts to decode, they'd be long gone by then."

I shrug. "I got lucky then . . . could you tell me more about this 'decoding' process and what it did to me?"

All of the Endermen around step back to give the one who was talking to me some space, with the notable exception of the one who first found me, who lingers by my side. My pig also sits beside me, watching curiously.

"The decoding process is almost like having a glitch or a bug in a program," he begins, clasping his hands behind his back. "It's where the victim is the program. Their internal coding breaks up over time, and as that happens, pieces of their body start to fade away or disappear, almost as if they're made of mist in a heavy wind. This is relatively fast, and usually takes only a week at most for it to finish." He starts to pace back and forth. "The type that happened to you, I think, is moreover internal. The code of your body still breaks up over time, and although the body doesn't disappear, some of the functions of it stop working until it reaches your heart or brain. That can take anywhere from days to weeks. And when either of those shut down, it's only a matter of hours until you eventually die of suffocation, blood poisoning, or the like. Your body still stays, though. Victims of either type are unable to respawn if they die. We don't know how it happens, or if it is a natural or man-made virus. We do know, though, that anyone that survives it can turn around and use it as a weapon against others." He finally stops pacing and just stares at the ground, seeming agitated.

"How do you know all this?" I ask quietly. The Enderman behind me squeezes my shoulder gently as a slight warning.

". . . My son," he replies, his voice cracking. "My son was attacked . . . by the disease. The internal kind . . ." I could see tears forming on the corners of his eyes, so I push myself up and walk over to him, wrapping my right arm around his waist (as my head could barely reach his torso) and pressing myself close in a mediocre hug. I could hear his breath catch slightly. "I'm sorry for your loss," I whisper, "and I'm sorry if I brought pain upon you by asking."

I could feel him wrapping his arms around my back slowly and gently, like a parent's sad embrace. "It's okay. We can't mourn forever."

Chowder coughs slightly and gives me a pointed look. I stick my tongue out at him, but pull away from the Enderman anyway. "So, what now?"

"You are free to stay," the tall Enderman answers, and I turn to look at him again. "Or free to leave. Your choice."

Chowder looks at me, and I translate for him.

"I'm leaving," He announces, standing back up. "I need to go and find my pack."

The Enderman nods to one of the members in the circle, who nods back and walks over to Chowder. He looks back at me. "One last question," he mentions, white ears twitching, "what did Herobrine want with you?"

I shake my head to say I don't know. The Enderman grabs Chowder's hand and they both teleport away in a trail of purple pixels.

"May I stay?" I ask into the silence. "At least until I'm feeling better."

The tall one looks over at me and nods, almost approvingly. I resist the urge to jump for joy and instead nod back in thanks. The small group disbands and I follow the one who found me first as my pig trails behind, falling in step with him and starting to pester him with so many questions about the Endermen.

* * *

Days pass. The Endermen have become my second family, and I practically live in The End. The one who found me first is called Storm, and he was the one who brought me and Chowder here after I called for help on that fateful night. He is also the only one in the End who is immune to water and snow, and instead takes fire damage like every other mob. Huh.

My arm has also nearly healed, as I can move it around freely now with little pain.

I often take short breaks to the Overworld, visiting every little part of Minecraft I missed. Over time, I forget about the enemy I once had. A little part in my brain nags me that if I don't remember something bad will happen, but I also ignore that. Why can't I just live peacefully with the Endermen? It's like a dream come true to me . . . I never want to leave.

* * *

**Lotsa dialogue in this chapter...*whistles* This was actually kinda hard to write, but the decoding part was fun to explain! :D And yes, obvious chapter title is obvious xD  
R&R please! *decodes***

**:S:**


	6. Enderqueen

_Chapter 5: Enderqueen_

* * *

I take a deep breath, the cube of dirt in my hand, and jump feet-first off the edge of the End. I recognize the feeling of falling through space at an incredible speed, the wind blowing my long shirt and pants back before I throw the dirt as hard as I can below me. It disappears into the blackness of the Void, and seconds later, I land hard on my feet. The grassy plane of the End could be seen a ways above me, and I grin. Thank Notch, the glitch still exists.

"Hey!" A tiny black speck calls to me from the End. "Did it work?"

"Yeah!" I yell back. "Come on down!"

The speck disappears and Storm teleports beside me in a burst of purple pixels. He looks around, confused by my choice of place. "There's nothing here."

"Exactly," I reply. "It's a great spot if you want to be alone." I absently shift the bandages on my face back in place, a feeling of anxiety rising up in me. I never have this feeling in me, unless . . .

"So, what's up?" Storm asks, linking his hands behind his head. "You wouldn't call me here without a reason."

I bite my lip. "There's a problem," I murmur, then pull off the bandages around my face. His eyes widen slightly, and I know what he sees: the whole right side of my face has been replaced with an Enderman's. "The recovery system seems to have grown into my body, turning me into an Enderman." I roll up the sleeve on my right arm, showing him my arm has also turned into one of theirs. The only thing that can tell that my skin has ever been there are a few pixelated patches along it. "Storm, what do I do?"

". . . I've never heard of that happening before," he replies. "Maybe it's some kind of unknown side-effect, or maybe it just likes you."

"_Likes _me?" I echo. He nods. "The thing we put on you is actually a living creature with a special kind of healing power. Usually, after a patron is healed, it just falls off and scuttles away. But I think that it can develop feelings for a host and integrate with their body, I'm not sure." He shrugs. "It's just a speculation."

I purse my lips, thinking. "Hold on . . ." I close my eyes and concentrate deeply, summoning up willpower inside me. I can feel my molecules compacting and shifting to another position before reforming, and I open my eyes. The purple pixels are already starting to fade away, but I see that I am behind Storm. "YEAH! I CAN TELEPORT!"

He laughs slightly, turning around to face me. "Congratulations." I grin widely and try again, and again, and again, poofing all around him in random places. When I appear in front of him again, my head is swirling and I'm freaking dizzy. I fall into his arms with another laugh.

"Maybe we should go back up," he suggests. I nod without comment, and we're teleported back to the End in another burst of purple pixels.

I immediately notice something's wrong as soon as the pixels fade away. It's eerily silent. Storm seems to notice it too. Where are the rest of the Endermen? And . . . "What's that sound?" I whisper, looking around. There seems to be some sort of clacking sound coming from around the area, but I don't see anything other than us two and the landscape.

Storm shakes his head. "Skeletons, maybe?" he whispers back. "But why here?"

I clench my left fist, and my obsidian sword—yes, obsidian, you heard right—appears in it. I grip it tightly, just in case. "Where are they . . .?"

Three arrows suddenly dig into the ground around us, and a net tied to them entraps us in the tight webbing. I slash through the net just as the three skeletons reveal themselves to us, and I jump out at one, lifting my sword. It moves back to gain distance just as I bring it down right in front of the thing. I give a sharp growl and lift it out of the dirt, swinging for it again. It dodges and shoots an arrow at me, and I sidestep, but it still scrapes my shoulder as I lunge for it again, this time smacking him bam on the skull. It gives a short _crack _as it takes damage and falls over, despawning. Another short crack tells me Storm has disabled another one. I round on the last one, and an arrow lodges in my right shoulder. I gasp quietly as it fires off another arrow, but I manage to deflect it with my sword and aim to land a blow to its skull. It jumps to the side and bashes me into the dirt with its bow. I grunt and spit the dirt out of my mouth. Storm teleports behind it and merely smacks it away and it despawns quickly.

Slow clapping could be heard from behind a random tree, and a (very) tall boy of about fourteen with short brown hair and one white eye walks out from behind it, facing us with a smirk on his face. "You two definitely make a great team," he observes, sticking his hands in his hoodie pockets. "And for once, I don't want to break that up."

I know this boy, I know him, he's so familiar, but his personality is completely different . . . "You're with Herobrine, aren't you?" I ask, motioning with my head to his white eye. He gives a chuckle. "Very perceptive. Yes, I am with Herobrine, although we don't meet often."

"Tell me," I nearly hiss, "what does he want with me?"

The boy's eyes glittered. "He wants you to join him."

My face is immediately like O_o" "What?" _Evolution reference much?_

"You heard, exactly as it sounds."

"Then explain why he tried to kill me."

I can feel Storm getting restless behind me as he smirks again. "The night before you first came here, you summoned him by _accident, _and therefore were worthless to him. But you seemed to have survived the decoding process, and more than that, have even learned to thrive in this godforsaken sandbox world of a game. I mean, look at you. You've even managed to get the entire Enderman race under your control in a way. They even refer to you as Enderqueen."

"_Enderqueen?"_ I echo, staring up at Storm. "Is that true?"

Storm gives a slight nod. "We hold you in high respect."

"You've proved yourself over and over," the boy continues, and I turn my attention back to him. "Think about it. Two weeks ago you were nothing, and now you are wanted by one of the most feared people in all of Minecraft. Come, please, for your sake . . . and for mine."

He reaches out his right hand to me, which is just bone, nothing else. "Please?"

"Ryan?" I gasp. "My brother?"

He nods solemnly. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I followed you in here. Now please decide; time is running out."

I reach back and squeeze Storm's arm, stepping back from my brother. His eyes widen slightly. "No," I say, my voice trembling. "I'm sorry. I've read enough stories to know where this would lead if I agree."

His gaze hardens and he drops his hand. "I'll admit I wasn't expecting that," he mentions. "But now that you've made your choice, I have to make mine."

Clacking sounds come from all directions, and a huge number of skeletons surround us in a matter of seconds. Storm and I immediately come back to back, but I know, deep down, we're both scared. And we both know we don't stand a chance of winning. Could we flee?

"Not advisable," Ryan warns, and I snap my gaze over to him, gripping my sword tighter. "We'll just track you down. The expanse of my kingdom is vast, far bigger than your petty Endermen group. You've now become our top priority target."

"You freaking Skull King . . ." I mutter under my breath. Only I didn't say freaking.

I back up more, only to be blocked by Storm's stiff figure. All these skeletons around us, ready to kill at a single command, and my brother over there, controlling them . . . what will we do?

* * *

**IT'S FINALLY OUT! *faceplant*  
I had typed this out in michigan but had no way to post it, and then there was some procrastination involved D: and yes, cliffhanger XD AND yes, my brother is the king of the skeletons now. BOW DOWN! jkjkjkjk XD But if you must, bow down to Herobrine (i claim him and i know i was first! *shotgun click*)!  
Well, please r&r, until next time! *decodes***

**:S:**


	7. BitCrushe

_Chapter 6: BitCrushe_

* * *

I grip my sword hilt one last time and jump out at the skeletons, smacking the flat of the blade against one of them. It flew into another and they both despawn before the arrows started firing. I duck under one and sidestep another, a third grazing my left shoulder as I tackle another skeleton to the ground, stabbing my sword into its head. It despawns and I roll to the side, barely registering the stinging pain in my shoulder as I kick one's legs out from underneath it and twisting around, kicking it into another skeleton. Jumping up was a bad idea, as I was smacked back into the dirt soon after. I lunge out like a wild animal and jammed the butt of the hilt into a skeleton's skull. It despawns with a short _crack _and I jump up just as an arrow lodged itself into my left hand. I let out a screech and drop my sword, yanking the arrow out and being rewarded with a gut-wrenching spurt of blood as I flung it into the crowd.

I'm smacked back down into the dirt after a moment to catch my breath, the adrenalin leaving me with my breath. My wounds throb painfully and I can't move as I struggle to breath.

I could hear arrows being pulled back and most likely aimed, but footsteps seemed to quiet them all. I open my eyes a slit. Ryan was standing over me, and he grabs my shirt in his fist, pulling me closer to him. "I'd hate to kill you, sister," he whispers so quietly that only I can hear him. "But you made a choice that resulted in this, and I'm sorry. We can't have nuisances hanging around." He raises his bone arm, an iron sword appearing in his hand. I close my eyes.  
"Forgive me, Alyssa."

"No!" A voice shouts, and I note the sound of a fist connecting with bone and someone skidding across the ground before my mind detects the energy spike that signifies teleportation. _Oh God, _I think. _If Storm just sucker punched Ryan in the face, we're all dead._

A blunt hand gently touches mine as I detected another spike of energy. This time, I was the one being teleported.

Rain falls around in sheets and bites my wounds for a few seconds before seemingly setting them, the water replacing the blood I lost. I give a short sigh of relief, also feeling my clothes starting to stick to my body. The air is chilly and my right hand curls around slick blades of grass- wait. I raise my right arm and open my eyes a bit. The blackness has scuttled back, probably to heal my current wounds, and my hand seems to have grown back. _Finally!_

I drop my arm and it lands on something soft and pink. My pig squirms out from underneath it, nudging my face slightly. I give him a small smile and scratch him behind an ear.

I'm lying on something of a hilly place, trees surrounding me and snow around in irregular patches. They flatten out in the distance, where the snow biome begins. My pack lies off to the side, looking like someone's been rummaging through it. I scowl and reach over to it, sending small spikes of pain through my left hand as I grab it and pull it over to me, pushing myself into a sitting position as I look through it. My fingers close around a small loaf of bread and I pull it out, tearing off a chunk and holding it out for the pig. He trots up closer to me and bites it from my hand as I take a small nibble from my piece.

". . . Do you know where we are?" I ask near silently, not expecting an answer. The pig just stares up at me blankly that I take as a no.

I give a defeated sigh and take another bite, my mind beginning to wander. Something seems off, and even as I brush a wet strand of hair out of my face I can't- wait. The rain now stings my right arm and I wince slightly. Am I . . . taking damage?

My eyes widen and I scramble to my feet, ducking under the leaves of a tall tree to avoid the rain. "Storm!" I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth. "Storm, can you hear me?! Storm!"

The only reply I get is my voice echoing back through the trees. A sinking feeling reaches the pit of my stomach and I dash off in a random direction impulsively, my mind blank on everything but trying to find him. He may be hurt, he may be killed, and I don't know I just need to find him!

I suddenly stop, hearing a low, soft moan, like an Enderman's voice clip from before the 1.2.5 update and whirl around in that direction. My mind clicks and, in a short burst of purple pixels, I'm kneeling beside the one in question, his hand grasped gently against my chest. Storm's face is covered in multiple cuts and gashes, and they're all bleeding pretty badly. He's soaked to the bone, and as the last dim rays of the sun start to set, he turns his head towards me. "M-my queen . . ."

"Don't call me that!" I yell, tears forming around my eyes and stinging the right side of my face. "You're dying! Don't you have anything better to say?!"

"Should I . . . have anything . . . to say at all?" he breathes, his deep violet eyes searching mine. They were once so clear and bright, now dull and clammy, clouded with pain. I squeeze his arm a bit tighter. "Keep talking," I whisper. "Please, keep talking. I don't want to forget your voice."

His hand gently squeezes mine. "I'm . . . sorry . . . for not coming with . . . you," he whispers. "I left an . . . afterimage . . . of you so . . . they wouldn't come . . . for you here." He lets out a ragged sigh. "But I . . . shouldn't . . . have stayed . . . and fought."

He grabs my shirt suddenly; pulling me closer to his face with such strength I flail my arms for balance. "Listen. I won't . . . be around . . . for you to . . . rely on anymore," he hisses. "All the . . . hostile mobs know . . . your face now. Stay away . . . from the . . . darkness . . . seek out . . . people you . . . can trust . . . and always . . . watch your . . . back." His grip slackens and his arm drops, his violet eyes glazing over. I bury my face into his chest and cry softly.

When I'm finally dried out, his body begins to dissolve into fade into purple pixels. I watch silently until he's gone, the only thing left of him being the blood on the ground and his last words ringing through my mind. My body is weak and my head is spinning, but I can't collapse here. My pig, who has been watching me this whole time, nudges me up onto his back. I don't need a saddle to ride him as he leads me back to where I woke up at. I grab my pack and slide off him, pulling out a black jacket I crafted while I was in the End and my old Sansa that I found was in here, pulling the jacket on and plugging my earbuds in, turning on BitCrushe by Hatsune Miku and Kasane Teto. The jacket covers up the parts of me that have been fused with an Enderman's, concealing me from the rain just as the song starts. I pull my hood up and place the Sansa in my jeans pocket, starting to walk into the snow biome as I sling my pack over my shoulder. My pig trotted beside me.

"_Why are they smiling?_

"_Why are we crying?_

"_Good thing to rethink_

"_Because feelings only_

"_Kill."_

The rain changes to snow, but I keep my hood up.

"_Within a colorful dream_

"_They have a fitting smile._

"_We looked down on that_

"_I WANT TO KILL YOU._

"_Monochrome dobs_

"_From us come pulsing circles_

"_Falling deeper and deeper_

"_Into darkness."_

I come to the edge of a cliff, staring out at the rising moon. "Stay away from the darkness," I whisper, trying to remember the words. _Kill you. _"Find people you can trust." _I'm crusher. _"Always watch your back." _Bit you._

_Herobrine wants me dead. But Storm said that as if he were trying to take over all of Minecraft. I need to look into this more when I can._

_Die._

* * *

**I really advise listening to BitCrushe by Hatsune Miku and Kasane Teto while reading this chapter. :D  
Well anyway…time for review replies! (This is my reply to the people who reviewed anonymously)**

**Thomas: Too late, I googled him and he's awesome! :D**

**Egnazol: Claiming and owning are two different things. I CLAIM HIM! *fires shotgun* (but yes, he **_**is **_**too awesome to be owned XD)**

**And as always, r&r! Till next time! *decodes***

**:S:**


	8. Friends

_Chapter 7: Friends_

* * *

I find myself traveling back to the village I first woke up at, considering I have no other choice but to wander. At least, I think it's this way. I hike through the snow biome, always keeping the setting sun to my left. The cold air bites my cheeks when I pull my hood down occasionally, scanning the area for any other mobs that might be headed my way, although the area is devoid of any sentient life. My pig is the only other mob that I see, and he always keeps beside me no matter what. I don't even see any wolves. Is everything avoiding me? Do they truly think I'm dead?

I don't know. I just keep walking.

The sun rises on the third day as I pack up the small shelter I made and head off again. My Sansa plays Glorious World by Hatsune Miku to keep me going. I hold my obsidian sword in one hand at all times, just in case today decides to be any different and I get ambushed by mobs.

The day drags on and the snow biome gives way into a grassy forest. The snow fades into rain and the land slopes to gently rolling hills. There is a trail of torches leading one way. I knit my eyebrows together. Only I would leave a trail as rudimentary as torches. So is this . . . ?

I follow the trail.

The terrain shape becomes familiar as I trek through the forest. The air becomes warmer as the rain stops and the trees thin out. The torches become closer packed together, and as the area comes to life again, the midday sun reflects off a glass structure in the distance. I pick up the pace and finally break through the trees, finding myself in a small valley. A large mountain-hill-thing is only ten blocks away from me. A small cave that drops sharply downward is on my right, the river in front of me flowing down it like a waterfall. A tall seven-by-five-by-twelve dirt shelter with a flat glass roof is to my left, and when I walk around it, the river empties into a lake and a small cobblestone bridge rises over it. I walk the length of the bridge, climbing the small hill up to the large dirt house that lay there. My hands are numb as I open the doors on the north entrance, revealing the inside of my house.

Wooden steps lead down to a cobblestone floor, and a tall dirt pillar with a ladder on one side leads up to the flat glass roof and the observatory on top of that. Two chests are to my left, and a wall of dirt separates the main room from the bedroom. I close the doors behind me and walk slowly down the stairs, absently registering the song had changed to Winter Nights by Waterflame. I haven't been to my server in at least a week before I got sucked into Minecraft, and now it's been even longer. The sun is already setting over the horizon, and the torches are becoming the only source of light in here.

I find myself half-walking, half-gliding to the other side of the room, to the two Enderman eyes I have embedded into the floor. Made of wool, they stare up at me, almost as if asking so many questions, the most important one lurking through my head: _what happened to all the others?_

My only answer is this: _I don't know._

Something nudges me and snaps me out of my trance, and I turn around to see my pig staring up at me curiously. I sigh and slide my pack off my shoulders, dropping it and my Sansa on the ground and walking off to the observatory. Climbing the ladder slowly, I come out in the all-glass structure, seeing the moon start to rise slowly in the east. I know I shouldn't be up here, as I hold a deep grudge for many of the mobs now, but it's a force of habit. I go straight, and then turn right to the pathway leading up to the mountain overlooking the valley, also made of glass. I reach it quickly and place my hand on the glass, watching all the mobs below. A spider here, a zombie there, and- why are the skeletons still here? I know they always patrol the Overworld . . . but Ryan knows that this is my server . . . he doesn't believe I'm dead. That's the only explanation. But how did he know I would return here, even if it was unintentional?

I bite my lip, realizing that Storm's sacrifice now was worthless. _No, no, don't think about that, don't, don't, don't. You need to stay strong._

I jump when I hear the surprised hiss of a creeper taking fall damage and whirl around to find one on the roof of the path. It looks down at me curiously, and as I tilt my head, it copies me. I reach up to it impulsively. _What do you want from me . . . ?_

It doesn't do anything for a few seconds, and then turns and starts making its way back to the house. I knit my eyebrows together and drop my arm, winding my way back through the path and out the observatory door. The creeper is waiting for me right beside the steps leading from the roof. When it notices me, it continues walking towards the stretch of beach near my house. I climb down the steps and bolt after it.

It takes me a bit to realize the creeper is leading me towards the Nether portal I have set up here. I raise an eyebrow as the creeper steps into the portal and disappears. Every bone in my body screams _trap, _but I climb in after it. The world starts to spin and there's a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach before I find myself in the small cobblestone fortress around the portal. MovedZero built this for me when he visited the server one day, to keep the portal safe from ghasts. That was forever ago. I feel a rush of gratitude and suppress a smile, sending out a silent thanks to him.

I make my way down the hall and find the creeper is already climbing the steps to the top. Sighing at having to walk even more, I continue after it, starting to question the logic of following a creeper anywhere.

The Nether has always been a dim place, but somehow now it seems even darker, as if someone turned down the gamma settings immensely. The creeper leads me to the edge of the small cliff we're on and stops, waiting. I stand beside it and raise my eyebrows questioningly, keeping a lookout for any ghasts and blazes at the same time.

"Heyo!" a voice shouts from above, and my head jerks up just as a boy with somewhat messy medium-length light brown hair and grayish-blue eyes lands right in front of me. He's wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and his skin is slightly tanned. He's a bit shorter than me. I note all this in less than two seconds. "Bracken?!"

"Long time no see, Shado!" he greets. "How've you been? Wait-" he cuts himself off, thinking. "Yeah I know how you've been."

"How?" I ask impulsively.

"This way!" He dashes over and starts scaling the wall of Netherrack easily. I give an annoyed sigh, putting my hand on the creeper's head and teleporting us both after him.

"Couldn't you have just put a ladder here?" I call up to him. It's a long way up, and I'm fine with the next to no light, it's just so hard to find a place to stand.

"Climbing is more fun!" I hear him say, and notice a light at the end of the pathway. I teleport to it and come out in an obsidian room full of wide computer screens, projecting live video feed of many places in the Overworld, Nether, the End, and even the Aether. Bracken and another figure are standing in front of the two main screens, the largest ones in the middle. Bracken seems to be talking quietly to the other person.

The creeper gives a short hiss and makes its way over to the second person. I raise my eyebrows, which I seem to be doing a lot, as they turn to me. In the light of the screens, I see that they are wearing a green creeper hoodie, hood down, and blue jeans. She has light chocolate-colored skin with a slight green ting to it and somewhat curly black hair that just reaches past her shoulders. Her soft brown eyes search mine just as rapidly.

"Frozen!" I tackleglomp her so quickly we both fall to the floor in a laughing heap. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I can tell!" she replies, hardly containing her laughter.

After a few seconds, I finally clamber off her and sit back on my heels, still beaming. "How did you get into Minecraft?"

Frozen sits cross-legged on the ground. "Dunno. One day my computer just totally glitched out on me . . ." she seems to zone out, her eyes unfocusing. I lean forward and snap my fingers in front of her face repeatedly, trying to bring her back to reality. "Frozen, earth to Fro!"

She blinks twice and shakes her head. "Sorry about that," she apologizes. I shake my head quickly. "No, it's okay."

Bracken gives a short cough and we both turn to him. I, honestly, forgot he was here.

"Okay. We need to discuss a few things here." He sits cross-legged on the ground next to us, his eyes turning serious. "First. We watch almost everything that happens everywhere in Minecraft, so if you have any questions, ask them now."

The stern mood settles over me and brings me back to the most important question. ". . . What happened to the rest of the Endermen?" I ask slowly.

Bracken and Frozen look at each other.

"We'll get to that later," Frozen finally answers. I sit back with an annoyed sigh, clenching my hands together in my lap. "Okay, fine. Also, do you know Herobrine's real objective?"

Frozen nods slowly. "Yes. He wants to raze down every living thing in Minecraft and rule it his own way. And you are at the top of his hit list."

"I expected that," I murmur. "But why?"

"For both surviving and opposing him at the same time," Bracken explains. "Unlike us, who watch in secret, you're so open and a trouble magnet. You don't just escape, you fight back."

"What's wrong with fighting back?" I interject. "When talking won't work, and you're up against some like _him, _fighting is the only way to get anything done!"

Frozen shoots a sharp glare at me that shuts me up immediately. _What the . . . ?_

"That's the problem," Bracken continues slowly. "Sometimes it's better to hang back in the crowd than to stand out. If you had just done that, the Endermen would've avoided their fate."

"What." I clench my fists tighter. "You brought it up. Tell me now."

" . . . You might want to brace yourself for this," Frozen breathes. "They were nearly killed off by the skeletal army. Many, if not all, of the spawners were destroyed, and the few remaining are lost in the Overworld."

A sickening silence settles over us three.

"What?" I ask loudly, heat rising in my body. Frozen nods slowly. "I'm sorry Shado."

"Who was this decreed by? Ryan or Herobrine?" My voice rises as I get angrier and angrier. "Where are they?!"

Frozen stares up at me sternly. "Ryan, but chill bro. It's not a big problem-"

"Of course it's a big problem!" I shout, slamming my fists down on the ground and making Bracken jump. I choose my words without thought, and know exactly where to attack her. "What if you were one of the last creepers on Minecraft, and your people were lost in a world not their own and you had no way to help them?!"

The silence settles over us again. Frozen looks down at the floor, shadows covering her face. ". . . I'd rather not talk about that."

"That's not an answer," I growl.

"We'll answer that later," Bracken inquires sternly. I glare at him, but eventually sit back and wrap my arms tightly around my torso as if it suddenly got cold. I have to find them. I repeat it over and over in my head. I have to find them.

"So, what are you going to do about Herobrine?" he asks. I slowly unwrap my arms and look him straight in the eyes.

"I will fight."

* * *

**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh sorry this took so long to come out guys- HUGE procrastination streak right there, and a writer's block also. Nyeh! DX**

**Lillichan1423- I don't see how I'll be able to revive Storm- wait, I see how. I just need to learn how to incorporate it into the chapter…**

**zombienoob 27- Meeeeeeeeeeeh…I'm not really taking any oc's, sorry. (this goes for you too, Spiritbrine!)**

**Decepticon Skywhip- Chowder is literally a guy irl, and im so sorry, it was the only thing I could think of! D':**

**DarkKryptid- o.o" wow. Storm seems to have a fanbase now.**

**And bracken, I know i totally screwed up your personality, i just needed another serious character. :I**

**And as always, r&r, until next time! *decodes***

**:S:**


	9. Herobrine

_Chapter 8: Herobrine_

* * *

I find myself standing on the roof of my observatory, arms crossed and staring out at the slowly-setting moon and all its pixelated glory. My pig stands beside me, unnervingly still. I keep looking around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary that might be making him be like this, but as the sun is rising behind me and the moon is setting over the sea, I still don't see anything. It may just be me, though, who's paranoid. Probably because of the task at hand?

Would any of the Endermen have wandered into here? I jump off the observatory and land on the roof, taking a half heart of fall damage in the process. Incredulous, at the most. Possible, but very unlikely. Emphasis on very. There are a million and one servers out there, so I have no idea where they would be. Seriously, defeating Herobrine sounds really easy compared to this. But where do I start?

I start to pace on the roof, the hem of my white sundress flaring out behind me in the breeze I was stirring up. Maybe I should just gather some resources from my chests and head off after the nearest Enderman energy signature, but that's more haphazard than I can ever hope to achieve anything with. Although it's the simplest. Maybe . . .

"Any other ideas?" a familiar voice asks, and I jerk my head in the direction of the observatory.

"Hosoi?" I breathe, staring at the Enderman sitting on the edge of the observatory roof. I memorized them all by name, and he is the one who healed me and explained decoding to me all those days ago . . .

"In the flesh, Queenie," he answers, winking at me. I teleport up to him and tackleglomp him, hugging him tightly. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmy goshohmygosh! You're okay! How did you find me? Where is everyone else? Rain, Dark, Kurai, Myst-"

Hosoi clamps a hand over my mouth to keep me from listing the rest of the Endermens' names. I look over at him, letting out a muffled giggle. My happy mode has been activated.

"Should've known you would be this excited," he sighs. I blink questioningly as he raises his hand up, almost as if to signal something. Four more Endermen appear on the roof in a burst of purple pixels, the smallest one holding a spawner in his hands. My breath catches in my throat as I slide off the roof, standing in the middle of the small circle. "Are you . . . all that's left?"

The tallest one, Myst, nods his head sadly. "The skeletons had strength in numbers. We couldn't hold them off for an extended period of time."

"We fled eventually, but they hunted us down afterwards," another one, Dark, reports. His twin, Kurai, nods in agreement, adding, "There weren't many of us left after we fled anyway."

I bite my lip, looking down in shame. "I wish I could've been there to help you all," I whisper. "I wish I could've helped you fend them off . . . there'd be more Endermen left . . . I'm a failure as a queen . . . I'm so sorry . . ." Tears form at the edge of my eyes and I press the heels of my hand into them, trying to hold them back.

The smallest one, Rain, sets down the spawner and walk-glides over to me, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Shado, you can't know everything that goes on at once. You probably wouldn't have known anyway, you were in the Overworld that day so you couldn't have."

I look over at him, giving him a sad smile. "Thank you," I whisper, turning my attention back to the group. "Thank you all. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for everything you guys have done for me-"

I'm cut off by a sharp gasp, and everyone turns in the direction of the observatory. Hosoi looks down slowly, finally noticing the bloodied diamond sword embedded into his chest the rest of us have seen at least two seconds ago. My eyes widen in horror, fear filling my body as his eyes glaze over quickly. He is pushed off the sword and falls forward, hitting the ground once before despawning. And his attacker stands before us in his place.

_What I don't understand is why I never just came back and finished you off, _Herobrine mentions in my mind. _I've had all the chances in the world to do it. I ask myself that at least ten times a day now._

"How . . . how long have you been following me?" I ask near silently. Everything is so quiet, I can hear the splatter of blood droplets from his sword onto the glass below it. No one dares move.

_Ever since you landed in Minecraft, _he answers. _I have been following you this whole time, watching, learning, waiting for the moment you fall. I have waited too long._

Suddenly, he's in front of me and I'm flung back half a second later, skidding to a halt on the edge of the roof with a long gash down my torso. The Endermen immediately launch into attack, but this only seems to annoy him and he teleports out of the way, stabbing Myst in the back and kicking him off his blade. I cry out as he despawns and lunge, my obsidian sword appearing in my hand as I aim a hard downward slash to his front. He blocks easily, slashing upward and sending me back across the roof. I snarl in pain, teleporting in midair, appearing behind him and aiming to cut him in half. He catches my blade in a split second and puts his hand up to my face. My eyes widen.

I'm blown back and slam against the wall of the observatory, gasping in pain. I can't move and my eyesight is freaking hazy. Herobrine seems to have detained Dark and Kurai, and Rain is back up slowly. He swings his sword one last time.

"N-no!" I choke out, blood flying from my mouth as I teleport in the path of his swing. The attack catches the side of my neck and everything goes black.

* * *

_Shado is flung sideways from the force of the attack, slamming into a tree not ten blocks away from the house and sliding down its trunk, a large gash present in the side of her neck. Rain freezes in terror, his strange ocean-blue eyes wide. "S-Shado . . ."_

Pathetic girl, _Herobrine murmured. _She never knows her limit. _He raises his sword and a beam of some sort of energy shoots directly at Rain, going straight through his body. He coughs once and falls to the ground, fainting as his body starts to dissolve into white pixels. Looking over the blood-soaked battlefield, Herobrine gives a small smirk, lights the house on fire, and teleports away._

* * *

**Okay.  
So.  
I have writer's block now.  
*decodes***

**:S:**


	10. Recovery

_Chapter 9: Recovery_

* * *

"_No!" I shout, watching as the last of my people fade away into the sudden darkness of the Void. Now only we two remain. I try to run, to lash out as he makes his way towards me, to do something, but my body is frozen in shock._

_He doesn't even say anything. When he's close enough, all he does is raise his sword high into the air. All I can do is slam my eyes shut and pray for this to be over quickly._

* * *

I'm awoken by my own screaming. It tears through the silence like a deadly knife, filling the small space as well as my ears as I jolt straight up, sweat pouring off my forehead in waves. The little droplets sting the right side of my face, but my fingers are so tightly curled together around the blankets I don't think I'd be able to pry them apart anytime soon.

_Wh . . . _my mind is still in shock from the nightmare. It takes a while to calm myself down, but it eventually does happen, and I can finally take in the room around me. The walls are obsidian, and so are the floors. I sit in a modest red bed that feels somewhat familiar, and an Ender chest could be seen in the corner, glowing slightly as the purple pixels fade out of existence continuously. Four torches line the small room. _Where am I?_

A small wooden door that connects the room to the hallway opens with a creak, and a familiar face that can be none other than Chowder (wearing a teal hoodie and dark indigo jeans) walks in. My heart lifts significantly. Finally, someone friendly, someone who understands-

"What happened to your face?" he asks with a raised eyebrow, interrupting my thoughts. I give a short laugh, but a cough replaces it quickly. "Is that going to be our new inside joke now or something?" I counter, smiling slightly.

"Seriously," he pesters. "You look like an Enderman."

"That's because I am one technically," I reply, tilting my head.

"What?"

"D- it's a long story," I sigh.

"Apparently." He sits down at the foot of the bed, his ears flicking slightly. "So, what attacked you this time?"

I wait a moment or two before responding. "Herobrine," I say flatly, no emotion in my voice. That still pisses me off. He was the pig this whole time, and I never even noticed. Now my worst enemy knows all my weaknesses.

He raises an eyebrow again. "You're kidding, right?"

"Would I joke about that?" I growl loudly, leaning towards him slightly. He leans back and raises his hands in a defensive gesture, and I back off. "I didn't think so," he admits.

"So how did you find me?" I question, wanting to change topics. He scratches his head; his ears flick wildly again. "Apparently there was a wolf- a tamed one, not mine- in your house at the time of the attack. He and two of your Endermen carried you and another here-"

"Dalltex!" I shout as the name comes to mind. "That was Dalltex's wolf!"

"Huh?"

"Dalltex is a friend on Xbox Live-" I stop short. "Wait. Did you say the Endermen carried me here?"

"Heck yeah!" two voices sound at once, and two other Endermen appear behind Chowder in a burst of purple pixels.

"Pfft, you thought we were dead?" Dark sneers.

"We merely watched and waited!" Kurai adds. "We believed that you would be able to defeat him, but were a backup if all else failed. Apparently, that was needed."

"Your old friend Rain is also here," they say in unison.

"Where?" I ask tentatively. "Where is Rain?"

"Follow us!" they announce, teleporting away. I reach out to say 'wait', but they're already gone. "Ah-"

"I'll take you to the third Enderman," Chowder sighs, standing up and starting to head to the door. I slide out of the bed, noticing I'm wearing a white tank top and white capri cargo pants, and trot after him.

As he leads me through the long corridor, I couldn't help but notice that there was glowstone to replace the torches the last time I was here, and obsidian, cobblestone, and a few iron blocks have replaced the dirt and wooden planks also. Are all the reinforcements because of the last incident that happened here?

"You've been very kind to us," I comment to him as we walk, "to let us stay here for so long."

He acknowledges me with a slight wave. "There's plenty of room here," he adds, and then turns to look at me over his shoulder. "Hey, I never got your name."

"Um . . ." I pause for a second. I'm known by two names here: my pseudo name and my given name. Which one should I use? ". . . Shado. Minus the 'w' at the end."

"Why?" he asks, matching my pace as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. I think about that for a bit. ". . . It's another long story. Are we almost there yet?"

He turns down another corridor to answer me; this one made completely of obsidian and had actual torches. It was kind of small (2x2 to be exact- we have to walk in a single file line now) and an iron door was at the end. A shiver went up my spine as I feel an energy spike behind me.

"You might want to brace yourself for this," Kurai whispers in my ear before teleporting away again. I hold my breath as we reach the iron door. Chowder looks over at me, sensing my discomfort, and flicks the lever. The door pops open.

I let out a distressed noise at the back of my throat- that combination between a gasp and a groan that you make when you've been deprived of air for too long- and rush into the room. Rain is sitting hunched over on a bed, his eyes pale and his body glitching out occasionally. There is a slight hole in his chest, where purple and black pixels are slowly fading out of existence as it grows bigger slightly each second. He's decoding. But slowly. How long has he been like this?

". . . Hey," he greets softly, his strange, dark blue eyes flicking up to see me. "How are . . . you doing?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about yourself?" I stress, quite loudly. I'm trying not to scream or break down here, not in front of Chowder. I don't want to go through what happened to Storm again.

". . . You took a . . . pretty big hit back . . . there also," he breathes.

"You're the one who's dying!" I argue. Even so, I lift my hand up to the left side of my neck, feeling the bandages wrapped there. How big of a hit did I take?

He gives me a small smile and falls back suddenly, but I catch his head with my right hand. "I guess . . . I'll see you . . . in the Aether . . . then?" he asks, his voice becoming softer.

The mention of the Aether stirs something inside me. Rain is the only connection I have to Storm right now. They're brothers. And Storm, I've already lost. I can't let him die. "I won't let you die," I whisper.

My voice is stronger than I feel.

As if guided by an invisible instinct, my left hand hovers over the hole in his chest, where the pixels are still deteriorating. My fingertips start to spark with the same white numbers and letters- coding- that I am very familiar with now. Something tells me it is a reverse sequence, a code designed to fix, not break. I spread them wide and press them down gently on the edges of the hole. The energy flows from my hand and onto his body, rebuilding it. In my mind's eye, the individual lines of code reform and seemingly knit back together.

The whole process takes all of two minutes. When the last strand of code is fixed, Rain bolts into a sitting position as I jerk my arm back at the same time. It still somewhat sparks with energy.

There is a silence as Rain catches his breath. Then: "You totally gotta teach me how to do that," he exclaims.

Dark, Kurai, and I break into a cheer. He teleports off the bed and I catch him in a tackleglomp, hugging him tight. The wolves that are in the room let out a howl, probably by instinct. I vaguely wonder what Chowder thinks of this.

The mini celebration dies down after a few minutes, and the three Endermen teleport off to another part of the fortress. I walk over to Chowder and, for good measure, wrap my arms around his shoulders lightly. He steps back a bit, surprised.

"Thank you," I whisper. "If you hadn't let us be here, I don't think either Rain or I would've survived."

He gently pushes me away, scratching his head nervously. "I think you should also thank your friend Dalltex," he mentions. "If he hadn't tamed that wolf in your server that day, you wouldn't even be here in the first place."

"Yeah," I agree. "But seriously, thank you." I flash him a small smile before walking out of the room.

* * *

Weeks pass yet again. Chowder and I have been planning out a strategy to finally end what this has turned into a war. Allies come and go, and we've sent out word to gather others. Chowder's fortress seems to be the main gathering spot now. As part of the plan, we want the word to spread far, so far it reaches Herobrine. He will fight if we demand it. I know he will.

And one special night, I find myself on the roof of the fortress, overlooking the surrounding area with my arms crossed. A small wind blows through my thin clothes and the access cloth of the black ninja headband around my forehead. So many thoughts are rushing through my head at once, mainly the times I had with the Endermen. Gently, I whisper to myself.

"I am no longer Alyssa, player of Minecraft. I am Shado, Queen of all the Endermen. And Herobrine, I am coming for you."

* * *

**OH MY NOTCH do you know how long I've been wanting to use that quote?**

**Dgmnfangirl080: Of course the story can't end here! :D and maybe I'll respawn him… *maniacal laugh***

**Decepticon Skywhip: Lol, I didn't kill them all. Not really xD**

**AS ALWAYS, R&R!**

**:S:**

**PS: I have some really bad news. Chowder (the real life chowder) is in the hospital with pneumonia. *decodes***


	11. The Calm before the Storm

_"Master!" Frozen pants, sliding into a quick kneel in front of a dark fog. "Master, the Enderqueen is gathering forces against you, and they're growing rapidly by the day."_

Has she all her allies yet? _A dark, shadowed voice sounds in her mind._

_Frozen shakes her head. "Not yet, but I do not know how many she has. Many Minecraftians have joined her, almost reaching the extent of your army."_

_The voice seems to chuckle._ Let them gather,_ he decides,_ and notify me when they plan to strike. Let's see how well she fares. Also . . .

_A small girl in a black jumpsuit darts out of the fog toward Frozen, who climbs to her feet in surprise. "Eva? You brought her back?"_

Keep her safe, _Herobrine orders._ She may be a great use to us_._

_Frozen nods and turns, beckoning for the child to follow as she starts off in the direction she came. Eva follows on silent feet._


	12. Revelations of a Cube Land

_Chapter 10: Revelations of a Cube Land_

* * *

I pace back and forth in the small room, my movement propelled by anxiety. My earbuds are in, playing The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well by Omnipony, while my Sansa lies in my jeans pocket. It's been three months now- the battle starts at midnight. After fretting over time going to slow all those days, I worry now it would pass too quickly for me to handle. The small breeze I'm stirring up makes the loose fabric of my headband flutter out behind me. My sword lies in its sheath, sprawled on the bed.

I detect a flash of energy, and blue pixels float into my field of vision. I turn on my heel, stop pacing, and find myself staring into Rain's strange ocean-blue eyes. "It's almost nighttime," he warns. "Are you ready?"

I shake my head, aggravated. "I'm just-"I growl at myself. "I'm just so nervous! This is my first time doing something like this- obviously- but . . . okay-"I start to pace again. "I'm okay with fighting, I'm not even afraid of dying- what I'm trying to say is what happens if we lose?"

He walk-glides over to me and places a hand on my shoulder, making me stop. "You won't lose," he assures me for the billionth time. "You need to have faith. I believe that you, as well as the rest of us, are all strong enough to do this. Besides . . . you need to remember who you're fighting for."

I grasp his hand gently, hardening my heart. "For Storm," I whisper.

"For Storm," he agrees.

We nod after a second, and then break away. I grab my sword, sling the sheath over my shoulder, drop my Sansa down on the bed, and teleport out in front of the fortress. Rain follows right behind.

The last rays of the dying sun cast a red glow among the sky, and as it slowly fades to purple, a strong breeze bows my very short, irregularly chopped hair and thin shirt back. I shift my left leg slightly on the cold gravel pathway. Everyone else is gathered here, even some of the other Endermen who have spawned within the past three months. It's our job to teleport everyone to the battlefield.

The nervous chattering doesn't stop when people notice Rain and me. In fact, it seems to even get a bit more hectic.

I can pick out certain people in the crowd: Frozen and her selection of creepers; the new guy, Ace, who's conversing quietly with one of them; Bracken, who seems to be followed by the shadow of the Wither; and the one who calls herself Spiritbrine (whose name still freaks me out a bit), hanging at the edge of the group. I scan the crowd and finally catch Chowder's eye. We give each other one small nod, and he disappears back into the mass of people.

All the Endermen, myself included, gather into a loose ring around the people as they fall silent. The moon is just beginning to rise.

My energy flows out, connecting with all the other Minecraftians so we don't have to be physically touching to teleport. All the other Endermen do the same. I close my eyes and count. "One."

Nervousness grips my heart. _You can't bail out now. It's far too late._

"Two. You might want to brace yourself for this."

The song Excalibur by Megurine Luka rings through my head, almost like a battle cry.

It's now or never.

"Three."

A whole chunk of energy is torn from me as we dissolve, travel at the speed of light, and appear right in the middle of the opposing army. "Go!" We shout, and fighting breaks out immediately. No shock, no hesitation, no dramatic effects. We're just here.

Shouting is the one thing I hear the most. I dart through the crowd, my senses on autopilot. I don't notice much. My one instinct is to find one target and one target only.

My obsidian sword lies in its sheath safely slung across my back, and I suddenly detect his energy signature as I front flip over a random person and break back into a sprint. Is he- is he running towards me?

"Whoa!" I teleport to the side of a random clearing, getting a long but shallow slash across my cheek for my low reaction time. Herobrine stands behind me when I turn to look around, his arm out to his side and a sword made of evil diamond in his hand. His back is to me.

_What took you so long? _he asks in my mind, appearing in front of me suddenly. I barely catch his blade with my own, both metals gleaming ominously in the now fully-risen moon's light.

"I'm on time, aren't I?" I reply, yanking my sword up against his and breaking contact.

_Battles don't need a set time, _he counters, aiming a side slash at me that I block. _It's never 'when' and 'where'. It's always 'here' and 'now'._

"We're more alike than I thought, then," I chuckle, teleporting behind him and aiming to slash him down the back. He catches my blade without turning around and, in a split second, lands a roundhouse-kick to my shoulder that sends me skidding across the clearing. I slide to a stop on all fours, my fingernails creating slight gouges in the earth that disappear the moment my hands leave the block. My sword had flown out of my hand and digs into another block, breaking it due to sheer force. Our eyes meet for a long moment, and then we both teleport to the sword. Somehow, I make it there first and grab the hilt, but I suddenly am flying through the air and slam against a tree.

I cough up blood, trying to catch my breath, but teleport out of the way of an arrow being launched, full speed, at my head all the same. Appearing a ways away from Herobrine, I try to catch my breath again, but he teleports in front of me so suddenly that it's all my reflexes can do to disappear again. Now it's just a game of who tires out first. We play what seems like a deadly game of tag with teleportation-hopping, neither of us quick enough to catch the other. The battle continues to rage around us.

Something finally happens- Herobrine appears in a corner of the clearing and just stops moving. I make my move and appear behind him, aiming a stab for his head, but my sword is shot out of my hand by an arrow. It clatters onto a grass block and lies there. I dodge another arrow and Herobrine disappears again, fizzing out almost as if he was a hologram.

I curse at myself for being so careless and dart back to my sword, yanking it off the ground, but another arrow grazes my side, tearing my shirt the moment it's in my hand. I give a snarl and teleport to the middle of the clearing, whirling in a circle to find my opponent. "Where are you, coward?!" I shout. "Come out and fight!"

A moment later, he appears directly in front of me and his sword is embedded into my gut. I let out a screech of pain and fall onto my knee, yanking out the sword and holding the wound tightly. I can't move- I try to teleport away, to reach for my own sword, to do _something, _but something is holding me in place. Just like the nightmare.

Herobrine looks down at me, his face devoid of emotion. Such a sharp contrast to mine, which is probably contorted in pain. _I don't know how you would have survived here without my help, _he mentions quietly. _I never would've predicted, though, that you would grow in power so fast. Maybe I'll finally stop thinking about it once you're finally gone. _His sword appears in his hand and he raises it one final time.

I can't move.

_I'm trapped; I can't go back._

The song rings through my head.

_I've made the choice . . ._

I shut my eyes.

_. . . To stay._

My right hand shoots up and grips his blade so tightly, blood oozes from my palm.

_And we'll fight; keep defending for the night._

I place my left palm, which is now sparking with energy, on his chest.

_Help fight for good!_

"Goodbye," I whisper.

The white beam of energy shoots straight through his body.

Herobrine's scream- one that's actual noise; that actually comes from his mouth- is so bloodcurdling that I have to slam my hands over my ears in an attempt to block it out. He's pushed away from me, his body rapidly dissolving into a mess of black and white pixels, a look of true horror plastered onto his face.

"_You."_ His real voice is disturbing: thick and guttural, like that of a furious beast's, laden with pain. _"You are going to pay."_

". . . How?" I joke slightly. "You're the one who's dying . . . I suggest you save your breath and just leave."

He lets out what sounds like a loud snarl, but another scream of pain replaces it as he finally disappears completely.

I stare for a long moment.

I did it. I defeated Herobrine.

I let out a breath I didn't even notice I was holding, throw my head back, and shout as loud as I could, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO!"

My voice carries all the way across the battlefield. Other voices respond to me: shouts, whoops, and hollers of victory and fear. Bursts of energy are everywhere, and shadows dart back through the trees. People are running away.

When they're all gone, the noise dies down to a general rumble, and one voice speaks from a few paces behind me. "You actually did it." He sounds incredulous.

"You're still alive?" I respond with a chuckle, but it quickly transforms into a cough. Rain walk-glides into my field of vision. He's battered and bruised, but nothing serious. He sees me down on my knees, my wounds still dripping in blood, and helps me up. I stagger and fall against him, clenching my teeth against the pain. He wraps one arm around my waist to keep me steady, careful not to touch the wound in my gut.

"Storm would be proud," he whispers. I give him a slight smile, and he guides me towards the middle of the battlegrounds, where all the fighters still alive are gathering. Neither of us looks back.

* * *

**OH MY GOD THAT'S SO SHORT! D:**

**Well anyway, here it is! The final conclusion of Cube Land! Thank you all for sticking with me, motivating me, and pestering me repeatedly to keep writing! You are all awesome! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D**

**And one little side note...I may make a sequel. MAY.**

**But for now, I must leave and work on my other stories! Sayonara! See you next time! *decodes***

**:S:**


End file.
